Instructors

We couldn’t do it without an awesome team:

To say the KA crew is eclectic is an understatement. We have always been able to find (actually they usually find us) the hardest working, most fun to be with, staff around. We are very picky about our crew. Our ultimate goal is to make sure our guests have a comfortable and safe trip. Besides kayaking skills, we look for guides who not just lead the group but anticipate their needs with a constant eye out for possible problems. Our guide training includes:

Wilderness First Aide/ First Responder, eventhough this is a fairly benign environment, our guides need to be ready for that ‘just in case’ scenario.
ACA kayak / SUP certification – paddling instruction, rescues, trip planning / group dynamics, environmental factors
Interpretive training – FL Master Naturalist, college science degree

Jody

Boss Lady

“When I’m talking to customers, I think about that ‘special vacation’, the one that we saved for and planned and dreamed about for years, and then remember that each guest has done the same with their vacation. I try to treat each one of them like this is their special vacation.”
A former Registered Nurse, she shares Ray’s love of the outdoors and is enthusiastic about giving visitors a deeper appreciation of the critters that inhabit the marsh. She is on the board of Wild Amelia and past president of the Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks. In her free time she loves working out at The Beat Fitness on Amelia Island.

Ray

the Barefoot Tree Hugger

Ray has been kayaking since 1991. A ‘tree hugger’ since the term became popular, Ray has always been involved in environmental (especially coastal) issues. Whether commenting on the Barrier Island Bill in the early 70’s or various initiatives by the National Park Service at Cape Hatteras, N.C. or as a member of the Littoral Society in NJ, he’s always felt an affinity for the ocean and things aquatic. “In this age of the burgeoning Eco-Tourism boom in Florida it is vitally important that we protect the natural communities we choose to showcase.”
To make that commitment real, he works closely with the management of the Timucuan Preserve and the Talbot Islands State Parks to help with their efforts to provide safe, educational, environmentally sensitive access to these beautiful treasures. Ray is a certified Interpretive Guide from Nat’l Assoc of Interpretation and a Coastal & Uplands Florida Master Naturalist.

When he’s not helping out at Kayak Amelia, you can find him playing around Amelia Island with the local band – the Honey Badgers.

SUP Master Sea

After receiving his first kayak at age eight, CJ was hooked for life. Further fine tuning his Kayak and SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) skills he received ACA certification in both. CJ loves introducing visitors to life in the salt marsh ecosystem. He believes the best way to protect the environment is to get people to experience it first hand and that is best done with a kayak or paddle board. He’s worked at Kayak Amelia part time thru high school and college and is currently manager of operations / lead guide / instructor. CJ especially enjoys SUP tours & classes and the latest craze SUPY (Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga) and PHIT (Paddleboard High Intensity Training). In his free time he loves paddling with friends, practicing yoga and participating in adventure races.

ACA L2 kayak instructor
ACA L1SUP instructor
Wilderness First Responder
B.S. Environmental Science

Buddy

Bronx Beach Bum

Buddy used to take the subways to hang out at the ocean ( Rockaway Beach) and developed his strong love for the coast. He is a former high school Physical Education teacher and track coach who still loves to share his experiences.
Buddy began paddling over 20 years ago while living on the North Carolina coast and has been passionate about kayaking since he first sat on his “sit on top”. Since then he has paddled up and down the East Coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico. His specialty is ultra kayak marathon racing and completed the Colorado River 100 mile race in Texas,and has other races planned. He loves to share his passion for kayaking and the coast with the guests of Kayak Amelia. When he tells his wife Denise “Good-bye I’m off to work , she usually replies “Don’t tell me you’re going to work-You enjoy it too much”.

Deb

Yoga

Deb, her 3 children and her husband moved to Amelia Island from Chicago in July of 2011. She discovered yoga in 1999 with 1 yr old twins at home and another on the way. She was instantly hooked. As a dancer for 20 years, Deb found the asanas in yoga moved her like nothing had since dancing. And as her family can attest, yoga was instrumental in bringing both strength and grounding in the most challenging of times. She finally realized her dream 6 years ago by having the time to begin her 200 hour RYT teacher training at Yoga Den in Jacksonville. She brings a playful, creative spirit to her vinyasa style practice and is blessed to be able to share her passion as a teacher. Deb also is the first to bring SUP Yoga here to Amelia Island and encourages all to come play on the floating mat!

Dawn

Summer Camp Director

Dawn has been our Summer EcoCamp coordinator for the past ten years. She’s combined her experience as a elementary school teacher with her love of nature and the outdoors to create an awesome summer camp curriculum. She spent her previous summers in the National Park Service’s Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program. Thru hands-on activities, workbooks and crafts the campers learn about the salt marsh, Timucua and early settlers. This is blended with paddling skils (kayaks and SUP boards).

One of their projects was called ‘Iron Camper’. Based on the Iron Chef Competition, each child was given 1 pine cone, 2 leaves, 4 pine needles, a shell, 2 sticks and a whole lot of glue. The decriptions of what they made were priceless.

Donna

Summer Camp

Donna is a preschool teacher who enjoys sharing our area’s history and ecoloy with guests in Summer Camp and SUP trips. Her family has been in North Florida from St Augustine to Amelia Island for 7 generations.

” I am so excited to be a part of the KA family – it truely is a family. We live in such a beautiful place and I love getting to share it with guests from all over the world!”

Bayleigh & Duncan

Official Greeters

KA official greeters. They are Wire-haired Pointing Griffons. They love to swim and ride on SUPs or kayaks. Bayleigh was born on December 30, 2014 (Jody’s birthday) and Duncan July 25, 2015.